Purpose

The goal of the Baton Rouge Fencing Club is to provide quality instruction to fencers at all levels of ability, and to promote the sport of fencing in the Baton Rouge area.

The Club

The Baton Rouge Fencing Club was founded in 1976 to coordinate between the various clubs in the Baton Rouge area. At the time there were three clubs that offered instruction in the city -- The Louisiana State University Fencing Club, the Baton Rouge Magnet High Fencing Club Club and the Foster Y.M.C.A. Club. The Y club closed in 1977. The Magnet program ended in 1985. Begun sometime around the turn of the 20th century, the L.S.U. club was among the older fencing clubs in the United States. In 2001, the operation of the club ceased. Fencers from the area traveled to Dutch Town in Ascension Parish to practice and train at “Salle Garage,” Ben Price’s garage that had been built for the purpose in 2001. Although it was a great site for practices, its small size and inconvenient location made “Salle Garage” unsuitable for conducting beginners’ classes.

In January of 2004, Baton Rouge fencers moved to the Ketcham Fitness Center on Bluebonnet Blvd. There, classes and practices were conducted under the auspices of the revived Baton Rouge Fencing Club. Begun in January, the first beginners’ class was a successful venture. The club now sports some 50 members ranging from beginners to national competitors. Last spring the club moved from to the Southside Baptist Church, 1700 Lee Drive in Baton Rouge. This year we have some 40 regular members, making the B.R.F.C. the largest fencing club in the Louisiana Division of the USFA.

We hope that the growth and success of the club represents the beginning of a new era of fencing in Baton Rouge.